IGL
The IGL, short for In-Game Leader, in CSGO is the person in charge. He tells people what to do at the start of the round and gathers information during the round to try and find the right way to take over the bombsite.
Usually the IGL takes a supportive role and helps the others, but there are many great examples of players being a hybrid and doing what needs to be done.
Dive into the roleWatch the IGL in action
That feeling when your strategy works just as planned…
This role specializes in leading. Being a good leader in CSGO is all about learning who is in your team and how to get the most out of them. Part of the job as an IGL is recognizing patterns from rounds before and trying to predict what will happen next and how to react to that. An IGL with the ability to see patterns and the experience of calling different strategies will make a huge difference for any team.
See your teammates as tools with feelings – the happier they are, the more efficient they will be. Listen to their concerns and try to set them in positions where they feel comfortable.
Responsibilities
The biggest responsibilities of the IGL is to get the best out of the players and roles around him. He has to listen to his players concerns and information, put them in the right positions and get everybody to follow a plan.
The IGL also needs to remember to be a leader and do his best to keep the team happy and confident in themselves and in their teammates.
Primary focus of the IGL
Lead the team and get the bomb planted
Get the most out of the roles on your team
Smoke near the site to secure the bomb plant
Get the tradekill if your teammate falls
Use your spawn position to your advantage
Aggressive strategies can be great to surprise your enemies in Counter-Strike. With a good spawn there is a good chance the CT’s have not gotten into the right positions yet and will be vulnerable to early flashbangs.
Example: On T side overpass if 3 or more spawn close to the stairs, grab some smokes and flashes and do a split on B. You take the bomb and have 2 guys going with you short – the remaining 2 rushes long. Plant the bomb around the chaos and protect the bomb.
Economy and Utility
The trick to being a good IGL is to always be aware of the economical situation of his team. Manage the teams economy, drop a weapon if you need to and base your strategy accordingly.
Buy Bind
bind "kp_5" " buy smokegrenade; buy flashbang; buy flashbang; buy famas; buy galilar; buy vest; buy defuser;"
Buy binds make buying the right weapons and equipment faster.
Press the button to copy the bind to clipboard and paste it into your console.
We bound it by default to “5” on your Numpad. To change it, replace “kp_5”
with the button you want to use instead.
Pressing the bind button ingame will purchase all the stuff you need as an IGL!
Buyority
Pistols:
As an IGL you should not worry about a pistol at any time. It’s better to just save the money and stick with the starting pistol. If you decide to buy a better pistol then it’s best if you drop it to the Entry Fragger, Lurker or AWP.
SMG:
Here you should go for a cheap weapon with a fast fire-rate like the Mac-10 or MP9. They are cheaper than the other SMG’s and they still give a $600 kill reward which will come in handy in the next rounds.
Rifles:
Before you buy a rifle you should check with your teammates if they have all that they need. If they don’t then offer to trade a weapon with them and get a smaller rifle. Apart from that you should still settle for a Galil/FAMAS most of the time and spend the extra money on utility.
Gear:
You should not worry too much about getting a helmet as you won’t be the one spearheading the rush anytime soon. If you can afford it that is great, but usually it’s better to get some utility instead. You will need the vest however so make sure to prioritize that.
Grenades:
Utility is super important for an IGL as they can substantially lower the risks around your teammates and play a vital part in strategies. Molotovs to clear areas, smokegrenades to cover areas and flashbangs to blind the enemy – the utility is the top priority for the IGL.
Pistol Round:
First thing you buy is a smokegrenade and 2 flashbangs. Use these to get onto the bombsite and get a bomb plant to start building some economy. Use the flashbang and smoke to get to the site and safe the last flashbang to defend against the retake.
Eco Round:
On CT side you want to just save the money and go for a stack somewhere and hope for a kill or 2. On the T side you also want to stick together and maybe buy a smoke or flash to do a fast push on a bombsite. Use this round to communicate with your team about the next rounds.
Anti-Eco Round:
Go for a cheap SMG like the Mac10/MP9, armor and a few flashbangs. On the T side you want to go hunting as a pack and use the flashbangs to eliminate some risks. The CT’s will most likely be hiding so a molotov can also be good to clear some hiding spots. On the CT side you want to keep a flash ready for a fast T rush.
Force-Buy:
Again the most important thing is to get utility first of all. Then you can either drop a weapon or trade with the Entry, Lurker or AWP. You should again hunt as a pack, stick together, be in position to get trades and use the utility to give yourselves the best chance possible.
Full-Buy:
In a full buy you still go for the utility first, look to see if anyone needs a drop and then go for a Galil/FAMAS. Never prioritize something above utility as it is key component to your strategies. The buy round is a lot more about strategy than it is about firepower for you.
Videos of the IGL role
Disclaimer: These are staged demonstrations
Here is what you need to know before trying the IGL role!
There are many different types of leaders but the most important thing to know about the role as an IGL is that it takes a lot of people-skills. You need to understand what motivates the different players and how to get the most use out of them.
You need to have a new approach to every round and be quick to get new ideas and believe in the ideas so that the players can believe in you.
You are the difference maker. Are you up for the challenge?
IGL tips & tricks
1. Always look at your teammates economy before buying and drop if needed
2. Make sure to have utility for taking over and protecting bombsites
3. Listen to the information from your teammates and base decisions on that
4. Do not hesitate too much. It’s better to learn from a bad idea than no idea
Go play a better game
Can’t wait to lead a team as the IGL role?
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See you in spawn! B-)
